‘Bogus doctor’ Elyas speaks out amid calls to resign as DA Cape Town councillor

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) Western Cape has called for the immediate resignation of Democratic Alliance (DA) proportional ward councillor Abdulkader Elyas after shock claims about his alleged bogus medical qualifications surfaced in the media.

The party’s “prescribed cure” for the saga coincides with an internal probe by the DA into the matter. This comes after ActionSA urged the Western Cape Government and the City of Cape Town to conduct a qualifications audit.

DA councillor Elyas on ‘bogus doctor’ allegations

Elyas, who was recently elected as an additional member in the Cape Town metro executive at the DA’s regional metro congress, had the following to say when pressed for comment:

“It is common cause that I was a medical student, not a medical doctor,” the DA councillor told IOL.

“The relevant information is with the DA. We are at the height of internal congress contestation in the province.”

What does UCT and HPCSA have to say?

On his LinkedIn profile, the Cape Town councillor claims to have studied at the University of Cape Town (UCT) for a Bachelor of Business Science in actuarial science in 2015 and 2018, as well as for a medical degree from 2013 to 2018.

News24, however, reported that, according to UCT, Elyas did not obtain these qualifications.

The Health Professionals Council of South Africa (HPCSA) also confirmed to the publication that the DA councillor does not feature on the register for health practitioners.

“Mr Elyas was registered as a student studying towards the qualifications of Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery. He was registered, and the registration was with effect from 4 April 2013, and the registration did not progress to that of a qualified medical practitioner, and the student registration expired as there was no progression,” HPCSA spokesperson Christopher Tsatsawane explained.

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‘Scrubs and hospital calls’?

According to the News24 report, party insiders claimed Elyas was “so shrewd that he pitched up at a party selection panel in 2021 wearing scrubs, claiming to have just come from a hospital call”.

EFF calls on DA councillor to resign

While weighing in on the alleged fake qualifications scandal, the EFF could not resist the opportunity to take a jab at DA leader John Steenhuisen and the party’s vetting procedures.

“In the photo that is making rounds on social media, Elyas is seen with John Steenhuisen, the leader of the DA, whose deficiency when it comes to post-matric qualifications still hovers over his head. This recent qualification scandal raises more questions about the lacunae in the vetting processes of those who become public representatives of the DA,” the EFF said in a statement.

“We call for Elyas to do the right thing and resign from public office for being dishonest, thus breaking his own oath of office,” the Red Berets statement read.

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ANC’s ‘decolonial view to formal qualifications

ANC MPL Khalid Sayed had the following to say when approached for comment: “ANC is of the view that having no formal academic qualification should not be a barrier against holding public office, regardless of party politics and political ideologies, as learning can occur in various spaces.

“This, of course, is a more decolonial view to formal qualifications, as it acknowledges various forms of intelligence, creativity, and skills that are not necessarily measured by traditional grading systems…

“However, this being said, it does not mean that the ANC supports public representatives lying about their formal qualifications as this is a great insult to the public at large. In fact, the ANC condemns the alleged unethical conduct in its strongest terms,” Sayed was quoted as saying by IOL.

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DA confirms internal investigation

DA national spokesperson Richard Newton confirmed that an internal investigation into the allegations was underway.

“This investigation will follow all the party’s processes and procedures. The DA will not speculate on these allegations and will be guided by the outcomes of the investigation.”

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